Jerice Crouch, the 2014 PBL Championship MVP and three-time PBL champion has been playing professional basketball for nine years, seven of those with the Rochester RazorSharks. Besides lots of practice on the court, Jerice gave us some insight on what it takes behind the scenes to become a professional athlete.

Workout Routine: My workout is more of a weekly routine. I like to begin my workout at 5 or 6am because it takes discipline to wake up early every morning. Monday, Wednesday, Friday for me is upper body weight training. Tuesday and Thursday are lower body. Then all of these are followed by core workouts and on the court basketball training. As a point guard, I like to work on my ball handling and shooting. My goal is always to build and maintain strength and endurance and overall try to better my skills.

Eating habits: My eating habits differ between on and offseason. During the season I stay away from fast food and pizza, and instead I eat a lot of baked chicken and fish. Offseason, I tend to give in, but I still designate a time frame where I am strict, nothing like the Lebron James diet though hahaha.

Jerice gave some great insight on proper health and fitness tips for those of all different ages. Not all of us are exactly professional athletes though, so we also learned a little more about the more “human” and realistic side that us regular people can more associate with.

PBL: We talk about healthy eating, but everyone has a weakness. What is yours?JC: Gushers fruit snacks. I can go through a whole box in an hour.

PBL: What is your favorite song(s) to workout to?JC: August Aslina- ‘Right There’. Jay-Z- ‘What More Can I Say’. Young Jeezy- ‘Dreaming’.

PBL: Who is your favorite basketball player of all time?JC: I would say Michael Jordan as a kid, in high school it was Allen Iverson, then in college and presently it is Dwayne Wade.

PBL: Your favorite sports team in basketball and non-basketball.JC: In basketball it would be the Miami Heat, otherwise Kansas City Chiefs (NFL).

PBL: If you weren’t a professional basketball player, what would you do?JC: I’d probably be coaching basketball.

To read the whole article on how to maximize your playing ability through health and fitness click here. The remainder of the fun Q&A with Jerice can also be found there.

Last season's top three performing rookies will return to the PBL for the 2014-15 season. Last season Jamaal Francis won Rookie of the Year honors after putting up an average 33.9 points per game. Now with a season under their belt and the rookie mistakes behind them, who will have the biggest impact on their team this season?

Jamaal Francis #11
Lynchburg Titans

The Premier Basketball League's 2014 Rookie of the Year winner, Jamaal Francis, was a member of the Lynchburg Titans.

Francis was able to hold his own on the court, but was pretty much the sole reason the Titans were able to even pull in a single victory. Lynchburg struggled to reach the 100-point mark five times last season and allowed 1,592 points against them. The Titans have continued to build more talent around the 2014 Rookie of the Year winner.

He averaged 33.9 points per game, had 17 assists and 35 rebounds over a course of 10 games.

Lester Jones #22
Erie Hurricane

Lester Jones wasn't the PBL Rookie of the Year or the Runner-Up for the position, but many believe he easily could have been.

Jones played for the league's last place, Erie Hurricane, but helped his team almost defeat the championship winning Rochester RazorSharks during the regular season.

In 13 games Jones averaged 30.9 points per game, had 53 assist and 87 rebounds.

Jones will be back in the black, purple and white Erie uniform where he could put himself in contention for the league scoring title.

Cedric Ridle #7
Chicago Tide

Cedric Ridle, of the now extinct Chicago Tide, helped lead his team to one of the strongest late season surges in the entire league.

Ridle was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year after strong performances against some of the league's top teams and overall performance against the powerful Midwest Division.

Ridle's 23.6 points per game was an incredible feat for a team that was struggling in a tough division. On top of that, he also had 18 assist in 64 rebounds in a total 13 games. He will be returning for the 2014-15 season with the team soon to be announced.